Hagen, Shelor, Williams recognized by General Assembly
Delegate Marie March threw out the first pitch at last Friday night’s Pulaski River Turtles game at Calfee Park in Pulaski. But her primary reason for visiting the ball park was to present Commending Resolutions to (from left) David Hagan, Larry Shelor and Mike Williams. March introduced the three resolutions during the last session of the Virginia General Assembly with each being approved by the House of Delegates and State Senate. She recently presented such a resolution to the New River Resource Authority.
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 108
Commending David L. Hagan.
Agreed to by the House of Delegates, January 24, 2022
Agreed to by the Senate, January 27, 2022
WHEREAS, David L. Hagan, vice president of Shelor Motor Mile in Christiansburg, has served the residents of the Blacksburg-Christiansburg Metropolitan Area for nearly four decades; and
WHEREAS, a native of Wytheville, David Hagan attended Thomas Nelson Community College and served his country as a member of the United States Air Force before beginning his career as an automobile dealer with Elliot Buick and Statum Chevrolet in Salem; and
WHEREAS, David Hagan joined Shelor Motor Mile in 1982 and has worked with president Larry J. Shelor to help the business become the leading multi-franchise dealership in the region with more than $400 million in annual revenue; and
WHEREAS, under David Hagan and Larry Shelor’s leadership, Shelor Motor Mile grew from 125 employees to more than 500 across multiple locations and has earned national accolades for outstanding business performance, customer satisfaction, and innovation in training and development; and
WHEREAS, outside of the automotive industry, David Hagan and Larry Shelor have served the community as the owners of a real estate development firm that completed several townhome neighborhoods, a subdivision of single-family dwellings, and other individual residential properties; and
WHEREAS, David Hagan and Larry Shelor have been champions for Minor League Baseball and conducted a $10 million renovation of Historic Calfee in Pulaski, which is now home to the Pulaski River Turtles of the Appalachian League; and
WHEREAS, David Hagan has led efforts to revitalize downtown Pulaski, and in 2021, Shelor Motor Mile became the primary sponsor of Calfee Community and Cultural Center, which preserves the legacy of the historic Calfee Training School; and
WHEREAS, David Hagan and Larry Shelor have sponsored countless programs through trade associations, educational institutions, and community groups; they established Growing the Future, which has awarded millions of dollars to local schools in six counties, supporting scholarships, extracurricular activities, field trips, and competitions; and
WHEREAS, in 2017, David Hagan created a scholarship fund at New River Community College in honor of his late son, Kyle; and
WHEREAS, David Hagan has served his community with the utmost dedication and enhanced the quality of life for residents of Pulaski, Christiansburg, and the entire region; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend David L. Hagan for his contributions to the residents of the Blacksburg-Christiansburg Metropolitan Area as a business owner and a pillar of the community; and, be it
RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to David L. Hagan as an expression of the General Assembly’s admiration for his personal and professional achievements.
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 109
Commending Larry J. Shelor.
Agreed to by the House of Delegates, January 24, 2022
Agreed to by the Senate, January 27, 2022
WHEREAS, Larry J. Shelor, president of Shelor Motor Mile in Christiansburg, has served the residents of the Blacksburg-Christiansburg Metropolitan Area for five decades; and
WHEREAS, a native of Floyd, Larry Shelor earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from Duke University before beginning his career as an automobile dealer; and
WHEREAS, Larry Shelor established Shelor Motor Mile in 1974 and has worked with vice president David L. Hagan, who joined in the 1980s, to help the business become the leading multi-franchise dealership in the region with more than $400 million in annual revenue; and
WHEREAS, under Larry Shelor and David Hagan’s leadership, Shelor Motor Mile grew from 125 employees to more than 500 across multiple locations and has earned national accolades for outstanding business performance, customer satisfaction, and innovation in training and development; and
WHEREAS, Larry Shelor serves as a member of the Virginia Motor Vehicle Dealer Board and the Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce and a former chair of the Virginia Automobile Dealers Association; and
WHEREAS, outside of the automotive industry, Larry Shelor and David Hagan have served the community as the owners of a real estate development firm that completed several townhome neighborhoods, a subdivision of single-family dwellings, and other individual residential properties; and
WHEREAS, Larry Shelor and David Hagan have been champions for Minor League Baseball and conducted a $10 million renovation of Historic Calfee Park in Pulaski, which is now home to the Pulaski River Turtles of the Appalachian League; and
WHEREAS, under Larry Shelor’s leadership, Shelor Motor Mile became the primary sponsor of Calfee Community and Cultural Center, which preserves the legacy of the historic Calfee Training School; and
WHEREAS, Larry Shelor and David Hagan have sponsored countless programs through trade associations, educational institutions, and community groups; they established Growing the Future, which has awarded millions of dollars to local schools in six counties, supporting scholarships, extracurricular activities, field trips, and competitions; and
WHEREAS, Larry Shelor has served his community with the utmost dedication and enhanced the quality of life for residents of Pulaski, Christiansburg, and the entire region; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend Larry J. Shelor for his contributions to the residents of the Blacksburg-Christiansburg Metropolitan Area as a business owner and a pillar of the community; and, be it
RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Larry J. Shelor as an expression of the General Assembly’s admiration for his personal and professional achievements.
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 107
Commending Mike Williams.
Agreed to by the House of Delegates, January 24, 2022
Agreed to by the Senate, January 27, 2022
WHEREAS, Mike Williams, an esteemed newsman and owner and publisher of The Patriot newspaper, a weekly newspaper serving the Pulaski County and Radford communities, celebrates his 45th anniversary in the news industry in 2022; and
WHEREAS, Mike Williams began his illustrious career as an apprentice pressman with The Southwest Times in Pulaski, serving the paper in nearly every capacity during his 31-year tenure, including 10 years as publisher; and
WHEREAS, Mike Williams founded The Patriot and its companion website in May 2009 and has since provided an invaluable service to the residents of Pulaski County and Radford by keeping them well-informed of events affecting their community; and
WHEREAS, Mike Williams has given generously of his time in service to others as a member of various organizations, including Pulaski Encouraging Progress and the Pulaski County United Way Board of Directors, and supported his industry as a member of the Virginia Press Association Board of Directors from 1993 to 1997; and
WHEREAS, Mike Williams has received numerous honors over the years from the Virginia Press Association and the Pulaski County Chamber of Commerce for his professional accomplishments and service to the community, including recognition as the chamber’s 2005 Business Executive of the Year; and
WHEREAS, Mike Williams was presented the 2013 Elks Distinguished Citizenship Award by Pulaski Elks Lodge 1067 and was a unanimous selection for induction into the Pulaski County High School Hall of Fame in 2017; and
WHEREAS, through his tireless efforts as a newsman and civic leader, Mike Williams has helped make Pulaski County a more wonderful place to live, work, and play; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend Mike Williams, celebrated newsman and entrepreneur, for his many years of service to the Pulaski County and Radford communities; and, be it
RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Mike Williams as an expression of the General Assembly’s admiration for his contributions to the Commonwealth.